Europe’s largest chemistry congress comes home to Antwerp, Europe’s largest chemistry cluster
More than 1,300 scientists, researchers, and experts from 66 countries will gather in Antwerp from July 12 to 16 for the tenth anniversary edition of the EuChemS Chemistry Congress, the largest science congress on chemistry in Europe. With this, this renowned congress is taking place for the first time in Europe’s largest chemistry cluster, in and around the Port of Antwerp. For five days, debates will focus on the latest innovations and the challenges and future opportunities of the chemical sector in Europe. The event is organized by KVCV, the Royal Flemish Chemical Society, with support from essenscia. From sustainable energy and CO₂ recycling to artificial intelligence (AI), new materials, and medical breakthroughs: the EuChemS Congress demonstrates how chemistry helps shape solutions for the societal challenges of the 21st century. Researchers from across Europe and some of the world's most renowned chemical scientists present the latest developments in the fields of climate, health, digitalization, and the circular economy.
Industry Day highlights strengths of Antwerp chemical cluster
The highlight of the program is the Industry Day on Wednesday, July 15, where a bridge is built between academic research and the scaling up of innovations to industrial applications. The focus lies on the unique strengths of the Antwerp ecosystem surrounding sustainable chemistry, including chemistry incubator BlueChem and Catalisti, the spearhead cluster for innovation in chemistry and plastics.
Jan Remeysen, Chairman of essenscia and CEO of BASF Antwerp, opens the day's program with a keynote on the future of the chemical industry in Flanders and Europe. Practical examples come from Indaver, Pfizer, and start-ups such as Ammobia, Creaflow, D-CRBN, and Triple W, among others. Johan Klaps, Antwerp Alderman for Port and Economy, is one of the session chairs.
Japanese Nobel laureate with revolutionary technology
One of the top speakers at the congress is Japanese Professor Susumu Kitagawa from Kyoto University. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year for his pioneering work in the development of so-called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These are revolutionary materials that, thanks to their unique porous structure, can capture, store, and selectively release molecules. This technology offers promising prospects for climate solutions, clean energy, and healthcare.
Prestigious award for chemistry professor from Ukraine
A special moment will be the honoring of Professor Roman Gladyshevskii, Rector of the University of Lviv in Ukraine, as the laureate of the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Medal. He is receiving this prestigious award not only for his scientific achievements but also for his exceptional commitment to continuing education and research under difficult circumstances during the war in Ukraine.
Christophe De Bie, President of the Royal Chemical Society (KVCV) and co-chair of the organizing committee: “With this congress, chemistry is coming home to Antwerp, the largest chemical cluster in Europe. Few other places in the world are research, innovation, and industrial production so strongly intertwined. This makes Antwerp and Flanders the ideal place to demonstrate how chemistry can offer solutions to challenges in the fields of climate, energy, environment, health, and the circular economy. Especially in times of economic crisis, we must emphasize the positive impact of chemistry while simultaneously continuing to work on areas for improvement.”
The congress is organized by the Royal Chemical Society (KVCV) in collaboration with EuChemS, the European umbrella organization that unites approximately 140,000 chemists from across Europe. The EuChemS Chemistry Congress is a biennial event that was first organized in 2006 in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The tenth edition takes place at the Elisabeth Center on Koningin Astridplein, near the Antwerp Zoo.
More info: euchems2026.eu
Contact
- Thomas Vranken, Secretary General KVCV and Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee: 0498 24 65 67 - thomas.vranken
kvcv.be (thomas[dot]vranken[at]kvcv[dot]be) - Gert Verreth, Director of Communications and Spokesperson essenscia, and member of the Organizing Committee: 0477 46 42 27 - gverrethessenscia.be (gverreth[at]essenscia[dot]be)
Source: essenscia